"Sorry, but ft. lbs is pretty much the whole story when it comes to power, so your high velocity idea does not really hold water. Velcotiy is already taken iinto account when establishing/calculating the ft. lbs. ( the power). But there are other things that impact knock down power besides the power of a round. Of course, placement is #1, then the penetration factor (which could have to do with the bullet type), then the bore (size of the hole/danage and its expandability, then hard cast vs. soft lead/metal)."
I may be sorry I'm posting,,, but I'm gonna add a bit.
Energy, or as noted, "ft lbs" isn't the whole story. Even in your post,, you allude to bullet placement, penetration factor, (bullet type) bore size, hole damage, hard cast vs soft metal.
Energy is just ONE of the factors to consider when shooting an animal. It is not the whole story. A .300 Win Mag will most often zip right through a deer w/o nearly as much damage as a 30-30 Win when the same bullet is used. Too much energy/velocity is wasted in the .300. Yet, shoot a cape buffalo with a 30-30 and a .300 Win mag, (same bullet) & the .300 will do much better. The medium (animal) has changed.
Yet, our own member here, "sixshot" went on an african safari in 2021 and killed game with JUST a handgun. In fact, a .45 Colt.
The differences are how you combine ALL the factors TOGETHER to get the performance needed for a specific application.
In your comparison of .357 & .44 Spl above, you point to the superiority of the .357 based upon ft lbs of energy. Yet,, having been a handgun hunter for decades with hundreds of handgun kills under my belt, I was helping a friend try & get his cow elk years ago. I was packing a .44 Spl, and even the guide was comfortable in my choice. I would have not considered using a .357 as a back-up for elk. (Oh, and on that hunt, almost all of us were handgunners. Only one was using a rifle, in 30-06. There were handguns in 7x30 Waters, .44 Mag, .45 Colt, & .41 mag. Distances from a bit over 50 yds to about 156 yds. All but one of those had pretty much instant, one shot drop in the tracks kills. The 30-06 shooter made a solid kill shot, but the elk ran several hundred yds, and we lost her until the next day. The one handgun elk that didn't drop immediately was being shot with a .44 mag. Bullet placement played a big part here.)
I could relate a book full of factual stories of handgun hunters who've proven the abilities of various calibers, bullet weights, bullet designs, bullet materials, velocities, energy levels etc.
My point is this, simply put,, ft lbs of energy is but ONE of the many things to consider when selecting a caliber, for a specific purpose. It's not the whole story.
